48 Tried and True Baking Gifts for the Sweetest People You Know

The holidays are nearing, and that can only mean one thing: The bakers in your life are gearing up for their biggest time of the year. Since they’ll be busy cranking out batch after batch of cookies, cinnamon rolls, and gingerbread cake, it’s only polite to reward them with a thoughtful baking-themed gift. Luckily, we bakers are notoriously easy to shop for. 

I’ve gathered gift ideas for bakers of all levels, from beginners to aspiring professionals. Many of these picks are Serious Eats favorites as well as winners of our product reviews, so you can rest assured they’ve been rigorously tested and are, well, the best! Top-performing gear aside, I’ve also included a few of my favorite baking cookbooks of 2025, some splurge-worthy ingredients, and a few just-for-fun gifts (edible flower confetti, anyone?).

Essential Baking Gifts

There are some key basics that all home bakers should have. Using a digital kitchen scale is the quickest way for any baker to up their game, and this one from OXO Good Grips has been our favorite for years. (I have one at home and love its backlit, pull-out display.) For measuring in volume, we recommend these Sur La Table stainless steel measuring cups and spoons. They’re sturdy and super accurate, and the rectangular shape of the measuring spoons allows them to fit easily inside small containers, like spice jars. 

A good set of mixing bowls is also a must. This set from All-Clad features three versatile sizes, all of which have handles, for tackling any baking project. The OXO Good Grips Silicone Spatula is essential for stirring batters and scraping bowls, and it was the winner of our silicone spatulas review. 

While mixing and measuring are both key to a successful cake, cookie, or loaf of bread, an oven thermometer can help ensure the perfect bake and is key to preventing dry cakes or bread that’s gummy inside. 

Any baker can appreciate a good baking book, and Sally’s Baking 101 (released in September 2025) is one of my favorites. While the book has recipes for bakers of all levels, it’s an especially great pick for those looking to master the basics. 

Finally, for the absolute beginners (or the friends who need a little baking confidence boost), there’s no shame in a baking mix. I’m head over heels for our favorite box brownies—I recommend including our favorite eight-inch square pan and our favorite oven mitts to round out the gift. 

Gifts for Sourdough Enthusiasts

You surely know someone who’s all in for sourdough. They probably already have some great gear, but I have a couple of favorites to help them hone their craft. This sourdough home from Brod & Taylor is super helpful in maintaining a healthy, active starter. The internal temperature can be set to between 41°F and 122°F to suit any feeding and baking schedule. Our favorite banneton is another great sourdough-themed gift. Made from absorbent wood pulp, the Bulka Banneton Bread Proofing Basket creates neat loaves every time– even a high-hydration dough won’t get stuck inside. 

When it comes to scoring loaves, the Baker of Seville Bread Lame is our favorite, with a blade that can adjust between flat and curved; it’s perfect for creating those coveted bread ears and also for making decorative cuts. (Trust me, I tested it!) Finally, if your sourdough lover has mastered the art of baking beautiful loaves in a Dutch oven, it might be time to upgrade them to the Brod and Taylor Bread Steel and Baking Shell. It’s super lightweight and easy to handle (even while wearing oven mitts!) and traps steam for a pleasantly chewy crust— plus it’s good for making both round loaves and oblong batards.

Gifts for Cookie Lovers

No other treat screams  “holiday” quite like a cookie, and I have several fun gift ideas to add to this year’s box. You can’t go wrong with some top-quality basics, like our favorite half-sheet pans from Nordic Ware (they’re also good for sheet pan dinners) or our favorite cooling racks from Mrs. Anderson’s. 

Portion scoops make quick work of creating consistently sized cookie balls that bake evenly in the oven. The Winco #24 scoop is a Serious Eats favorite for medium-sized cookies with a capacity of about three tablespoons. 

Cookie stamps are an easy way to add intricate, festive designs to basic sugar cookies and shortbread. I love this snowflake-themed set from Nordic Ware, but there are tons of other designs to choose from, too. Quality chocolate is another gift no baker can resist. Callebaut semisweet chocolate chips make for top-tier cookies—don’t forget a sprinkle of flaky salt! I love this one from Primi’s Imports; the cute box makes it a perfect gift. 

Gifts for Pie Bakers

Creating tender, flaky pie crust is an art unto itself, but there are a few tools that can make the tricky business of pie-baking easier. Our favorite rolling pin is made from one piece of wood with tapered ends and makes easy work of rolling out a delicate dough. 

A beautiful, neat lattice pattern is coveted by nearly all pie bakers, and this double pastry wheel is just the tool for the job. The fluted blade creates a zigzag edge that’s perfect for more decorative designs, plus it’s good for cutting cookie and pasta doughs too. 

While our favorite metal pie pan may not seem like the most exciting gift, I beg to differ. While many home bakers love ceramic or Pyrex pans, a pan made from metal conducts heat more efficiently, making for pies with a crisp, golden crust (and no dreaded soggy bottoms!); that’s pretty exciting to me. 

These pie weights are also practical (especially for par-baking the crusts for cream and custard pies), but they come in an adorable box– you can even skip the gift wrap! 

For the baker that already has the basics covered, consider a stylish pie server (this one has been on my list for years) or perhaps a cookbook. Gallete! by Rebecca Frikser was published earlier this year and has both sweet and savory recipes—it’s especially great for beginners since galettes are basically just an easier, less fussy version of pie. 

Gifts for Cake Makers

When it comes to both baking and eating, cakes are my all-time favorite sweet treat. My most prized cake-making tool? A humble offset spatula. It’s good for spreading batter, applying smooth coats of frosting, and is even helpful for releasing a cake that’s stuck in its pan. Bundle it with our favorite cake pan and a cake-themed cookbook (I love Dorie’s Anytime Cakes) for the ultimate cake-making starter set. 

If you know anyone using an old, rickety hand mixer, consider upgrading them to our favorite Breville Handy Mixer. It has a digital display, built-in timer, and multiple attachments for tackling any baking project (I’ll be getting one for my grandma, to replace the one she's had since 1975). 

For the cake maker looking to improve their decorating skills, a revolving cake stand is perhaps the ultimate game-changer. This model from Winco is one of our favorites. Pair it with a set of piping tips (this set has 26 to choose from) and a note reminding them that practice makes perfect—and that you’ll be there to help keep all those practice cakes from going to waste. 

Gifts for the Serious Baker

If you know a seriously talented home baker (who you secretly wish would quit their day job and open a bakery already), encourage them along with a gift that’s sure to up their game. Great bakes require precision, and a super-accurate instant-read thermometer is key for making caramels, buttercreams, and candies. The lightning-fast Thermoworks Thermapen One is our top pick—I even use mine for cakes and breads to ensure a perfect bake. 

Pre-cut parchment sheets may seem like a boring gift, but let me tell you, they are a total game-changer—no more fussing with scissors and no more curling edges. Every serious baker should have a pack. 

They should also have some top-notch ingredients. Start them off with a bottle of Nielson Massey Vanilla Paste to use in cookies, cakes, or even crème brûlée. And if they do make crème brulée, they’re going to need a blow torch to create that signature layer of caramelized sugar on top—this small but mighty torch from Rösle is a Serious Eats Favorite. 

Stocking Stuffers for Bakers

An ideal stocking stuffer is both fun-sized and useful (I now feel obligated to remind you that candy is useful… for eating). This tiny Microplane is the miniature version of our favorite rasp-style grater and is great for zesting citrus or grating whole nutmeg, while a bowl scraper gets every last bit of dough out of a mixing bowl.

A petite vial of real vanilla beans is about as deluxe as a stocking stuffer gets.  A jar of pistachio cream is a gift I’d love to find in my stocking. It’s perfect for making homemade ice cream or a smooth and nutty crème pâtissière (which I use as a filling for cream puffs!). 

A kitchen isn’t complete without a good timer, and our favorite Thermoworks Timestick Trio fits neatly inside a stocking and has three separate timers, making it perfect for even the busiest of bakers. This set of gel food coloring is a great choice for bakers who love to decorate and comes with eight colors to choose from. And surely anyone can appreciate a small container of edible flower confetti or nice sprinkles for topping cakes, cookies, ice cream, or anything else that needs a joyful pop of color. 

Splurge Gifts for Bakers

For the baker who deserves something extra special this year, these deluxe baking appliances are worth the splurge. A stand mixer is probably the ultimate gift for a passionate home baker. Our favorite mixer from KitchenAid has a seven-quart capacity, plus a bowl-lift feature that makes it sturdy enough for kneading even the stiffest of bread doughs (plus it will last a lifetime). 

The KitchenAid Artisan Series tilthead mixer is slightly less powerful, but still a great choice for anyone who likes to bake cake or cookies. The gift at the top of my wishlist this year is the Breville Joule Air Fryer Pro, which was the winner of our countertop ovens review. It’s big enough to fit a nine-by-13-inch sheet cake and has 13 cooking settings, including baking, broiling, proofing, and even dehydrating. Finally, consider gifting a marble pastry board—it'll keep dough nice 'n cool while they roll out their umpteenth pie crust.

Why We’re the Experts

• Zola Gregory is a writer, recipe developer, and product reviewer for Serious Eats and other publications. 
• Before she worked in food media, Zola worked as a pastry chef and baker in her hometown of Seattle. She later worked as a baking instructor, teaching bread and pastry classes both in-person and online.  
• For this article, Zola carefully chose standout products from our reviews of baking tools, appliances, and other gear. She also included a few personal favorites.